October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 10.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is creative / narrative non-fiction

 

Queen of the Cosmos: Beatrice Hill Tinsley.

Written by Maria Gill.

Illustrated by Alistair Hughes.

Upstart Press Ltd, 2024.

Beatrice Hill Tinsley lived every day as if she was on borrowed time. Over her short time on Earth, she was determined to further the world's knowledge of the stars and galaxies. But it was not easy being a female scientist in those times. She would have to make a heartbreaking decision in order to follow her destiny. Find out about this extraordinary woman, who became one of New Zealand's greatest scientists.

I appreciate that aspects of Beatrice’s life aren’t glossed over – nor gone into in depth – but are included, even for a child audience.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 9.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that deserves more attention

Digging up the past: archaeology for the young and curious.

Written by David Veart.

Auckland University Press, 2011.

What do moa eggs, seeds chewed by rats & 600-year-old footprints have in common? Lost planes, dog turds and frozen sleeping bags? Archaeologists deal with artefacts like these every day in Aotearoa New Zealand to make sense of the world of our ancestors, our tūpūna. In this book David Veart walks alongside the archaeologists as they dig up the past on top of volcanoes and beneath our city streets, in Māori pā and explorers' huts. He offers us the things they find - obsidian blades, enamel cups, the carved prow of a waka - and the remarkable stories they have uncovered of Polynesian sailors and Pākehā sealers, Māori gardeners and Chinese storekeepers.

David Veart worked as a DOC historian and archaeologist for years. This is a brilliant book, and should be more known. I’d love if it was updated and reprinted!

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 8.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens for ages 5-7 years

Bird in spring! Along came a spider.

Written and illustrated by Raymond McGrath.

Graphic Universe, 2026.

Spring is here! The leaves are green. The sky is blue. The flowers are in bloom. And there's a new bird in town . . . Bird is finally out on his own, but he's having a hard time. Finding the perfect tree is anything but easy. Building a perfect nest isn't going well. As for making friends? That's proving to be the biggest test of all. That's when Spider swings by, catching Bird's eye. But they can't possibly be best friends . . . or can they?

There is a paucity of fiction for this age group – that aren’t picture books. It hasn’t been an area often covered by New Zealand creators – first readers (apart from actual readers by publishers like Wendy Pye) and first chapter books.

In this case, the author is a New Zealander, but the series is published in the USA, and looks and feels more USA than NZ.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 7.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is a graphic novel

 

Folk remedy: the hidden world of the yōkai. (Book 1).

Written and illustrated by Jem Yoshioka.

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2025.

After twelve-year-old Maple Morimura reads a book detailing her family's relationship to the spirits and supernatural beings called yōkai, she unexpectedly travels to a hidden spirit world with a mischievous Yōkai named Ember.

Shortlisted for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration, in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.Shortlisted for the NZSA Best First Book Award in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.

Ends on a cliffhanger!

Jem dedicated her first book to her grandmother, Taeko, who travelled from Japan to Aotearoa New Zealand.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 6.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is translated by a New Zealander

The Little Rabbit books.

Written and illustrated by Jörg Mϋhle.

Translated by Catherine Chidgey.

Gecko Press.

Board book.

Perfectly simple interactive board books for babies who love to take care of Little Rabbit.

There were so many books I could have chosen – but I love the fact that Catherine Chidgey translates these!

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 5.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens by an illustrator whose work you enjoy

Runaway Rooster.

Written by Melinda Szymanik.

Illustrated by Lael Chisholm.

David Bateman, 2026.

The Kahui farm has everything an animal could want, but every day, Little Fred Rooster runs away. He doesn't usually go too far, and the Kahuis' friendly neighbours always drive him back.No one knows why he goes.When Fred escapes yet again, Junior Kahui follows him. Will he solve the mystery of the runaway rooster once and for all?  

Is it the author or illustrator I enjoy? Why not both? 

Anyway, I haven't read this yet - it is so brand new! 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 4.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens for ages 0-4 years. 

 

17 kings and 42 elephants.

Written by Margaret Mahy.

Illustrated by Alba Gil Celdrán.

Little Moa, 2024.

Originally published in 1972 by J. M. Dent & Sons.  

Aotearoa.

Picture book.

Seventeen kings on forty-two elephants Going on a journey through a wild wet night... Join the kings and the elephants on their jungle journey, meeting new creatures as they dance and sing their way through the jungle.

Everyone needs whimsy and glorious language – from birth.

I will always remember the 5-year-old who interrupted my reading of this, to tell me that there were ‘made up words.’ They seemed very unimpressed.

I felt so sad that they had already lost whimsy. 

While hunting for book covers, I found this maths lesson plan - well, lots of plans for different ages - based on how to equally share the care of 42 elephants among 17 kings. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 3.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that contains poetry

The uppish hen & other poems.

Written by Robin Hyde.

Edited by Juanita Deely.

Iillustrated by Dïne.

The Cuba Press, 2023.

Aotearoa.

Poetry

In 1934, four-year-old Derek Challis found a homemade book in his Christmas stocking. On the typed pages bound with pink ribbon were poems written for him by his mother, the writer Robin Hyde. Derek - known as Derry - treasured the gift and could recite the poems until his death in 2021. Hyde hoped the collection would be published 'one fine day' and that fine day has come.

A nostalgia piece, of its time – with illustrations that reflect the period.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 2.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens with green on the cover

Wild summer.

Written and illustrated by Vasanti Unka.

David Bateman, 2026.

A gorgeously whimsical interactive picture book that inspires kids to get outside and engage with nature. With simple, evocative wording and stunning watercolour illustrations, this book celebrates summer days, running through grass and singing with birds. Wild Summer is a joyous read that draws kids in and sends them out with a wanderlust for nature, encouraging mindfulness, gratitude and acceptance.

Just a wonderful, joyous, creation.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 1

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is a favourite you would gift a newborn.

Hairy Maclary treasury: the complete adventures of Hairy Maclary.

Written and illustrated by Lynley Dodd.

Penguin Random House, 2023.

Picture book.

The complete collection of Hairy Maclary stories: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy; Hairy Maclary's Bone; Hairy Maclary Scattercat; Hairy Maclary's Caterwaul Caper; Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet; Hairy Maclary's Showbusiness; Hairy Maclary, Sit; Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack; Hairy Maclary's Hat Tricks; Hairy Maclary, Shoo.

You can’t really go wrong with this glorious collection.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: USBBY Outstanding International Books List

 

Afloat.

Written by Kirli Saunders.

Illustrated by Freya Blackwood.

Little Hare, 2024.

Picture book.

Roam the water with me. We are here to learn. Here to spin wisdom, to grow... From award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders and seven-time CBCA-winner Freya Blackwood comes Afloat, a story told in a time of climate crisis. Against a backdrop of a changed environment, an Elder leads a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge and gathering community along the way. Afloat is an uplifting and inspiring picture book that uses the practice of weaving as a powerful metaphor for the honouring and teaching of First Nations wisdom, and the coming together of all people to survive, thrive and create a more hopeful future.

The threads that weave us together – the importance of traditional weaving in many cultures.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Oceania

Liar's test.

Written by Ambelin Kwaymullina.

Text Publishing, 2024.

Seven will come. Two will die. Two will sleep. Two will serve. One will rule. I didn't want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely. Bell Silverleaf is a liar. It's how she's survived. It's how all Treesingers have survived since they were invaded by the Risen and their fickle gods. But now Bell is in the Queen's Test-she's one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who will rule for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she'll have the power to help her people and take revenge on the Risen. But first she has to make it through the challenges alive. She doesn't know how much she's been lied to, or where she fits in a bigger story, a mystery stretching back generations. And she's facing much bigger dangers than the Queen's Test. She's up against the gods themselves. Liar's Test is a fast-paced, intricately woven fantasy novel with an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.

So, when’s the next one coming?!!!

Riveting, edge-of-your-seat material.

Slight romantic interest going on.

Weekend Reads round-up, 27 September 2026, part two

Aren't you a strange bird!

Written and illustrated by Rocio Bonilla.

Translated from Spanish.

Apples & Honey Press, 2025.

Picture book.

Confusion over figures of speech.

Possible read-alikes:

• The eyeball alphabet book by Jerry Pallotta and Shennen Bersani.
• The cat's pyjamas by Wallace Edwards.
• Quiet as a mouse: and other animal idioms by Chieu Anh Urban.
• Butterflies in My Stomach and other school hazards by Serge Bloch.

 

Itty Bitty Betty Blob and Itty Bitty Betty Blob makes a splash.  

Written by Constance Lombardo.

Illustrated by Micah Player.

Hippo Park, 2024 and Astra Publishing, 2025.

Itty Bitty Betty Blob, and her mum, are delightful! So supportive of her different daughter. And Itty Bitty Betty Blob is delightfully different and so secure in herself. I liked that there was little, or no, bullying or teasing by her schoolmates.

Possible read-alikes:

• Stand tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell and David Catrow.
• Amoya Blackwood is brave by Chantaie Allick and Aaron Marin.
• You got this! by Rachael Davis and Leire Martin.
• Super Goat Girl by Tracey Baptiste and Dapo Adeola.
• Millie Fleur's poison garden by Christy Mandin. 

Bad to the bone.

Written and illustrated by Alex Wilmore.

Farshore, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

You have to watch out for tiny dogs. Especially chihuahuas.

Possible read-alikes:

• I am Dog! by Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton.
• Such a good boy by Marianna Coppo.
• I will love you anyway by Mick and Chloë Inkpen.
• A dog like that! by Janene Cooper and Evie Kemp.
• I am a wolf by Kelly Leigh Miller.

 

In-between places.

Written by Alex Killian.

Illustrated by Grady McFerrin.

Chronicle Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Diverse cast of characters.

A story of change and moments.

Possible read-alikes:

• What made you smile today? by Lou Peacock and Raquel Catalina.
• Goodbye house, hello house by Margaret Wild and Ann James.
• The space between by Clare Helen Welsh and Fiona Lumbers.
• Everything changes: and that's ok by Carol Dodd and Erin Huybrechts.

 

Adventures with Finn and Skip.

Written and illustrated by Brendan Kearney.

Dorling Kindersley, 2020 to 2024.

Picture book.

I had requested them in, because the illustrations reminded me of Stephen Michael King. I should not have read them in a block.

So formulaic – and message-driven. Seriously formulaic – the same thing happens in different environments, which almost the exact same words.

• Something, someday by Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson.
• Unity Street School saves the planet by Sheena Davies.
• Counting in green: 10 little ways to help our big planet by Hollis Kurman and Barroux.
• Change starts with us by Sophie Beer. 

 

My dog ate the bathroom.

Written by Justin Christopher.

Illustrated by Raymond McGrath.

Scholastic New Zealand Limited, 2025.

Picture book.

A ridiculously outrageous tall-tale of epic proportions.

Possible read-alikes:

• A mouse just ate my house by Kes Gray and Sebastien Braun.
• Greedy Cat’s door by Joy Cowley and Robin Belton.
• The princess and the (greedy) pea by Leigh Hodgkinson.
• The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers.
• Oscar the Hungry Unicorn by Lou Carter and Nikki Dyson.

 

Don't disturb the unicorn!

Written by Rhiannon Findlay.

Illustrated by Siân Roberts.

Puffin, 2026.

Rhyming text.

Picture book.

With a title like this, you know you’re going to get chaos.

Possible read-alikes:

• Don't wake the dragon by Bianca Schulze and Samara Hardy.
• Don't wake up the tiger by Britta Teckentrup.
• What a night! by Guilherme Karsten.
• Cock-a-doodle-doo! by Pamela Allen.

 

Naughty.

Written by Jeanne Willis.

Illustrated by Paddy Donnelly.

Andersen Press, 2026.

Rhyming text.

Picture book.

It’s hard to behave all the time – even when you’re a grown-up.

Possible read-alikes:

• I can explain by Shinsuke Yoshitake.
• Fred gets dressed by Peter Brown.
• Tricky's bad day by Alison Lester.
• Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton. 

Super Uma!  

Written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande.

Illustrated by Nakul P.

Puffin Books, 2026.

Picture book.

The 'villain' has neurodiversity needs – overwhelmed by sensory overload. And, the real hero is definitely Super Uma’s Nani.

• Wonder mums by Caitlin & Leah Sheil, and Phillip Cullen.
• Supernana by Eva Byrne.
• Super Goat Girl by Tracey Baptiste and Dapo Adeola.
• My nanna is a ninja by Damon Young and Pete Carnavas.
• Superhero Gran by Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger.
• Too much!: an overwhelming day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang.
• Oona and the shark by Kelly DiPucchio and Raissa Figueroa. 

The dangerous pet lover's guide to sea monsters.

Written by Lindsay Hirst.

Illustrated by Alice McKinley

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2026.

Picture book.

A fun manual you sort of wish was real.

Possible read-alikes:

• Don't eat bees: (life lessons from Chip the dog) by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt.
• If I had a dragon by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow.
• How to look after your dinosaur by Jason Cockcroft.
• 15 things not to do with a puppy by Margaret McAllister and Holly Sterling.
• If I had an elephant by Richard Fairgray, Terry Jones, and Tara Black.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Oceania

 

Migration.

Written by Steph Matuku.

Huia Publishers, 2024.

Farah can't wait to escape her mother's incessant demands and attend the legendary Western Wānanga, where the best military fighters are trained. Through daring battles against her classmates and encounters with cryptic temple masters, Farah sheds her life as a person from the upper ranks of society and becomes an intuitive. But when her world comes under attack, she learns who she really is.

Colonisation through a science-fiction lens.

Action, adventure – death and violence. A little touch of romance. 

And lots to think about. 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: A Language with a Non-Latin Script

 

I am here.

Written and illustrated by Kim Hyo-eun.

Scribe Publishing Company, 2026.

Translated from Korean.

Board book.

Beginning with 'below' concepts read vertically — sun, clouds, rainbow, Mum — the book matches how babies naturally look up at their world. It then transitions to 'beside' relationships read horizontally — grandfather, cat, ants, nature treasures — reflecting babies' growing engagement with their immediate environment. The journey ends with the profound moment of self-recognition: 'me'. The ingenious format mirrors how babies actually develop — looking up first, then engaging laterally with their environment.

A wee gem of a book. It opens both up and down; and then back to front.

Weekend Reads round-up, 27 September 2026, part one

 

Meena's Saturday.

Written by Kusum Mepani.

Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail.

Puffin Books, 2025.

Picture book.

First generation – from a family who have helped many other families migrate. So, their house is full on Saturdays – but only the girls / women do the work. And the boys / men get to eat first.

The injustice is obvious to Meena, who has been raised in a wider culture that has different expectations and gender roles.

Possible read-alikes:

• Zog and the flying doctors by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
• Boys don't fry by Kimberly Lee and Charlene Chua. 
• Sarabeth's garage by Melanie Florence and Nadia Alam.
• Nisha knows best by Maryann Jacob Macias and Maithili Joshi.

 

Merlin, are you small or big? and Merlin, are you near or far?

Written and illustrated by Eva Rasano.

Translated from Italian by Ananyaa Malhotra.

Candlewick Press, 2026.

Board book.

Opposites and perspective.

Possible read-alikes:

• Are you small? and Are you big? by Mo Willems.
• Opposites by Sandra Boynton.
• Little Owl's opposites by Divya Srinivasan.
• Maisy big, Maisy small: a book of rhyming opposites by Lucy Cousins. 

A bear, a fish, and a fishy wish.

Written by Daniel Bernstrom.

Illustrated by Brandon James Scott.

Astra Publishing, 2024.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Will the bear eat the fish?

Will the fish escape?

Who will get their wish?

Possible read-alikes:

• A bear, a bee, and a honey tree by Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott.
• Mine! by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann.
• Don't eat Eustace by Lian Cho.

 

Imani's moon.

Written by JaNay Brown-Wood.

Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell.

Charlesbridge, 2014.

Picture book.

Based / inspired by Masai / Kenyan and Tanzanian culture, traditions, and mythology.

Wishes and teasing / bullying.

Possible read-alikes:

• King for a day by Rukhsana Khan and Christiane Kromer.
• The underwater moon by Sandra Dieckmann.
• Moon Mouse by Corrinne Averiss and Lorna Hill.
• Flora’s flowers by Debi Gliori.

 

Queen Victoria's bathing machine.

Written by Gloria Whelan.

Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.

Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Sophisticated picture book.

Based on the true story of Prince Albert inventing a bathing machine, so that Queen Victoria could go swimming, without showing her body.

Possible read-alikes:

• Queen Victoria’s Christmas and Queen Victoria’s underpants by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.
• Like a gannet by Kristen Ealand and Deb Hudson.
• Kwesi and Nana Ruby learn to swim by Kobina Commeh and Bárbara Quintino.
• You forgot your skirt, Amelia Bloomer, a very improper story by Shana Corey and Chelsey McLaren.
• Mary wears what she wants by Keith Negley.
• Nothing stopped Sophie: a story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe and Barbara McClintock. 

I can't sleep.

Written and illustrated by Emma Farrarons.

Rocket Bird Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Why do we sleep in beds? It’s a good question. Which sparks an imaginative night time journey.

Possible read-alikes:

• Just because by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.
• Bunnies don't like bedtime! by Jonny Leighton and Robert Starling.
• Sleep is for babies by Emily McDowall and Julia Hegetusch.
• Brown Bear can't sleep by Yijun Cai.
• A monstrous bedtime by Kerilynn Wilson.
• The great escape by Deborah Marcero.
• The Dreamies by Iona Campbell. 

Colin's grandma.

Written and illustrated by Holly Swain.

Farshore, 2025.

Picture book.

Sequel to Colin’s castle.

Colin, the vegetarian vampire, has a very traditional grandmother – who he finally stands up to. And tries to persuade her into his ways.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dick the delightful duck: (now and then, everyone has a bad day) by Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle.
• Bear & Duck are friends by Sue deGennaro.
• Nanna Croccles by Susan Joy Lu. 

Kitty Caterpillar.

Written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone & Connor White.

Iillustrated by Brigette Barrager.

Balzer + Bray, 2026.

Picture book.

When an inside cat finds the outside.

Possible read-alikes:

• I can fly by Ruth Krauss and Mary Blair – this is more for the illustrations.
• The rare bird by Elisha Cooper.
• Greedy Cat and the chooks by Joy Cowley and Robyn Belton.
• Mildred the gallery cat by Jono Ganz.
• Inside cat by Brendan Wenzel.

 

A mouse just ate my house!

Written by Kes Gray.

Illustrated by Sebastien Braun.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Cut-outs.

An increasingly ridiculous far-fetched tale. Possible read-alikes:

• My dog ate the bathroom by Justin Christopher and Raymond McGrath.
• This book just ate my dog by Richard Byrne.
• Hungry Jim by Laurel Snyder and Chuck Groenink.
• Monster! Hungry! Phone! by Sean Taylor and Fred Benaglia.
• I am hungry by Michael Rosen and Robert Starling.
• Jim: who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion by Hilaire Belloc.
• I just ate my friend by Heidi McKinnon.

 

The wildest thing.

Written and illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin.

Random House, 2026.

Picture book.

Embracing the wild and nature.

Possible read-alikes:

• Outside in by Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby.
• We are all one by Britta Teckentrup.
• Wild summer by Vasanti Unka.
• The comet by Joe Todd-Stanton.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Graphic Novel or Comic

Folk remedy: the hidden world of the yōkai. (Book 1).

Written and illustrated by Jem Yoshioka.

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2025.

After twelve-year-old Maple Morimura reads a book detailing her family's relationship to the spirits and supernatural beings called yōkai, she unexpectedly travels to a hidden spirit world with a mischievous Yōkai named Ember.

Shortlisted for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration, in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.Shortlisted for the NZSA Best First Book Award in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.

Ends on a cliffhanger!

Jem dedicated her first book to her grandmother, Taeko, who travelled from Japan to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Which led to an online conversation between myself and Jem as to where does she feel her book fits. And the answer is, both Oceania and Asia. So, for my own sanity – and because it was an incredibly unfair question for me to ask – I’ve put it in graphic novels.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: The Americas

  

Letters in charcoal.

Written by Irene Vasco. Illustrated by Juan Palomino.

Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. Lantana, 2023.

Original published in Spanish as Letras al carbón by Editorial Juventud S.A., Spain in 2015. Sophisticated picture book.

In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month — letters that she is sure contain promises of love — one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Senor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still — that letters are literally all around her. 

The assumption by the literate and privileged that *every one* can read.

Also the power of reading. But, I have a deep sadness for the two worlds that struggle to meet.

The literate / online world that is dominate – and I am very much part of – and how difficult it makes navigating the world for those who are not part of it.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: A Language Spoken by a Friend

 

Timeline: science & technology: a visual history of our world.

Written and illustrated by Peter Goes.

Translated from the Dutch by Bill Nagelkerke.

Gecko Press, 2020.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A visual introduction to our planet and society told through the history of our greatest inventions and the technology that has changed the world. In his signature playful style, Peter Goes illustrates the most fascinating technologies, from the first tools to the most specialized IT, from medical breakthroughs to the creation of YouTube. He includes remarkable scientists and innovators and highlights lesser-known stories. A compelling history of technology from the Stone Age to the present day, from America to the Southern hemisphere and beyond.

Busy and detailed – the human figures are not stereotyped – which is great.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Europe

 

Girls who slay monsters: daring deeds of the Irish goddesses.

Written by Ellen Ryan.

Illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald.

HarperCollinsIreland, 2022.

Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine-to-twelve year olds.

There was a time when tales of Ireland’s mythical goddesses—their astonishing powers, bravery, and unbreakable bonds with nature—were famous, in Ireland and beyond. But over time, these stories were lost, often replaced or rewritten to make room for male warriors and kings.

Until Now.

Girls Who Slay Monsters brings these heroes of Irish mythology back to vibrant, magical life. From Éire, Ireland’s fierce namesake, and Bé Binn, a giant who overcame her bullies, to Badb, a gleefully gruesome death prophet, and Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenged an entire army. These are goddesses of many shapes, skin shades and sizes, from every corner of ancient Ireland, whose daring still inspires today.

Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless — and you might just discover that you, too, are a force of nature.

Inspirational and empowering stories of goddesses, so many I’ve never heard of.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Europe

 

Invisible.

Written by Eloy Moreno.

Translated from Spanish by Cristina Gahan.

Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2026.

A boy wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how he got there. As time passes, the pieces of what happened that terrible fateful day start falling into place, and the boy remembers his secret: he has the power to become invisible. The boy is hesitant to tell anyone the truth. What will they think of him if they find out why he gained this ability? And what if it makes everything worse? One thing is certain - the invisible boy has become visible. Can he stand up to his biggest fear?

Be gentle with yourself, on reading this.

Told through multiple points of view, this is a confronting, challenging, and heartbreaking investigation into bullying – and the perpetrators, including the bystanders, observers, and those who laugh. Adults are complicit in this story of school bullying. Whether it is parents laughing at viral videos, or school staff who don't want to deal / acknowledge the issue. Or, parents who are so tied up with their lives, they don't see. 

So much is heartbreaking, but the interaction between the boy and his father, who is at his hospital bed, is right up there: 

"You don't work today either, Dad?" 

“No, not today. They gave me leave so I could stay with you, look after you.”

“And can’t they give you leave when I’m fine, when I’m not sick, so we can spend more time together?”

            And that’s when his heart started hurting him. That night he tried to remember the times he’d spent at home on a weekday: when he caught that awful flu, when he had that accident with his hand, when Grandpa died, when he’d taken the day off for his mother-in-law’s burial, but they’d never given him time off to celebrate a first tooth falling out, to show a child how to ride a bike, to spend a birthday together, to go for a swim at the beach…. In other words, they had never given him time off for the only real important things in life. 

         

 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Africa

  

Ikenga.

Written by Nnedi Okorafor.

Viking, 2020.

Fiction.

In southeastern Nigeria, twelve-year-old Mnamdi is determined to avenge his police chief father, who was murdered while trying to rid the town of criminals, but Nnamdi feels powerless until he receives a magical object which gives him superpowers.

There is little to no separation of the natural and supernatural – which, in this book, are completely Western cultural impositions on this world. On this culture. Reading – understanding and absorbing – takes a bit as you need to decouple any Western worldviews about nature and supernatural, to understand.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: A Language with a Non-Latin Script

 

Asad's secret: a novel of Gaza.

Written by Najlaa Attaallah.

Translated by Sawad Hussain.

Translated from Arabic.

Levine Querido, 2026.

Asad lives in Gaza, in a tiny house, on a narrow street pocked by half-destroyed buildings, in a camp that looks shabby to him and feels claustrophobic. He walks virtually the same route every day to his summer job at a printing press, passing the prison that holds his father, for reasons that have not been fully explained to him. As the oldest son, he feels the weight of responsibility for his seven brothers, his sisters, and his Ummi, who wants him to study hard and excel in school, as all mothers do. Moody and reserved Asad has few friends, and fewer distractions. Thank goodness for Um Fawzi, a feisty, cigarette-smoking old woman, who's the only one who seems willing to tell it like it is, sharply enough, and with a biting sense of humor that snaps him out of his fog sometimes. There's also Houriya, a lovely and smart girl, who brings him books to read and sometimes prompts him to think about a future that he can't truly imagine. There seems to be no escaping. But Asad has a secret, too, a mysterious black bag that holds something important that he keeps hidden from everyone.

A tiny but powerful book. The book is so far in Asad’s head that it feels all-consuming. He’s not the easiest character to like.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: ALA Batchelder Award for Children’s Books in Translation

 

Home.  

Written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler.

Translated from the French by Vineet Lal. 

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024.

Originally published in French as Maison by Éditions Courtes et Longues, 2022.

Illustrated large format poetic nonfiction.

A spectacular tour through the dwellings of twenty-seven different animals, from a hermit crab's secondhand shell to a beaver's lakeside dam to a comet moth's silk cocoon. Acclaimed creator Isabelle Simler presents a poetic journey through amazing animal homes across the world. In Europe, alpine marmots stay safe in underground refuges. In southeast Asia, Sumatran orangutans doze off in treetop bedrooms. In Mexico and the southwestern US, elf owls nest in holes in saguaro cacti. On every continent but Antarctica, honeybees mold wax into palaces for their queens. No matter where you travel, some creature is making an extraordinary place to call home. With connections to life cycles, camouflage, and other biological concepts, Home is a spellbinding showcase of the wonders of the natural world. Enchanting poetry, fascinating back matter, and intricately detailed art invite young readers to be amazed by the creativity and diversity of our animal neighbors.

Translation is an art. It is one I am incapable of – but I can imagine that translating poetry would be the hardest. This is exemplary – and accompanied by amazing illustrations.